WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team moved past Concord into sole possession of fourth place in the Mountain East Conference Sunday afternoon with a huge doubleheader sweep of the Mountain Lions at Kovalick Field.
Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (24-17, 20-12) celebrated Senior Day by handing Concord (26-18, 22-16) back-to-back losses, 8-6 and 6-3, to take three of four from the southern West Virginia squad in the weekend series. West Liberty pounded out 14 hits in coming from behind to win the opener. After going down in order in the bottom of the first, the Hilltoppers scored at least one run in every inning the rest of the way.
Brunner had three singles and a pair of RBIs while Tim Mirandy drove in a run with a double and two singles to pace the 14-hit barrage. Bub Haddox had two singles and two RBIs, Pierro ripped out a pair of hits and drove in a run, D.J. Busby had a single and an RBI and Jordan Meyer and Yale Hughes each doubled. Reef earned the win with 3.1 innings of one-run relief.
In the second game, West Liberty scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to snap a 3-3 tie. Haddox put the hosts ahead to stay with a solo home run and Jared Carranza provided plenty of breathing room with a two-out, two-run double.
Haddox had a big game with a triple and a double to go along with his circuit blast. Brunner chased home two runs with a double and a single and Pierro chipped in with an RBI double.
Yale Hughes picked up the complete-game win on the mound, striking out five and walking only two while holding the visitors to just four hits. The Hilltoppers are scheduled to host Salem International on Thursday in a 2 p.m. non-conference doubleheader before closing out the regular season with 1 p.m. twinbills at Wheeling Jesuit on Saturday and Sunday.
BASEBALL
West Liberty 8, Concord 6
Concord 202 110 0 – 6 7 0
West Liberty 013 121 x – 8 14 1
Con: Werner lp (4SO, 1W), Edwards (5) (0SO, 0W) and Williams, Goss (7). Szamski T, D, 2rbi; Sullivan HR, rbi; Cassada D
WLU: Pare (3SO, 4W), Reef wp (4) (1SO, 3W) and Francis, Carranza (6). Mirandy D, 2S, rbi; Brunner 3S, 2rbi; Haddox 2S, 2rbi; Pierro 2S, rbi; Busby S, rbi; Meyer D; Y.Hughes D
Concord 000 003 0 – 3 4 3
West Liberty 020 013 x – 6 9 1
Con: Pybus (1SO, 0W), Frazier lp (6) (0SO, 0W) and Williams. Szamski D, S, rbi; Williams 2S, rbi
WLU: Y.Hughes wp (5SO, 2W) and Carranza. Haddox HR, T, D, rbi; Brunner D, S, 2rbi; Carranza D, 2rbi; Pierro D, rbi
